Switching Action & More at Homewood, IL, 02.12.12: CN, IC, NS, Metra Electric & Amtrak

LOTS of footage here! We start with a passenger's view of the CN / IC main between Harvey and Hazel Crest on the parallel Metra Electric District main line. I ran into a friend on the train and you can hear him ribbing me for being a foamer!
An intermodal with some mixed freight tacked on to the head end (probably Q149, Montreal-Toronto-Chicago) comes up the steep connector from CN's Grand Trunk Western main at Harvey and heads south on the Illinois Central. The CN business/track inspection car 'Sandford Fleming' is behind the power, which is ex-IC, exx-LMX, nee-Conrail C40-8W #2465, and CN SD75I #5734.
Later I arrived at Homewood, where six IC Highliner cars are northbound as Metra Electric train #810. It being a Sunday, the Electrics were only running every two hours...
Next, Q149 has backed in to the Markham Intermodal Terminal to drop off the container piece of the train, pulling ahead onto the south yard leads to switch the rest of the train into the general freight section of Markham Yard.
Once the power has retreated, along with the track inspection car, back into the yard, CN/IC GP38-2 #9571 and CN GP40-2LW #9677 pull out of the yard with a long cut of cars.
At the same time, Norfolk Southern transfer power, ES40DC #7687 and C40-9W #9937, with the former running long-hood-forward, pulls out onto the far lead track, switching its train. The two trains pull out a bit in unison.
Later, Amtrak's southbound 'Illini', train #392, makes its south-suburban Chicago station stop at Homewood. "Cabbage" unit #90200 leads a matched set of Horizon coaches, with P40DC #817 pushing. Both switch jobs from earlier then shove back into the yard.
After the Amtrak train has departed, three units pull out from where they had been waiting at the south end of the yard. Illinois Central SD70 #1002, CN C44-9W #2609, and IC SD70 #1011 will be tonight's power on CN train Q194, the Chicago-New Orleans intermodal on the "Main Line of Mid-America".
Finally, rounding out the evening, southbound Metra Electric train #813 arrives at Homewood.
~Thanks for watching!~

[@Brian4449]

That OCS car is going to the NECR for the conbined CN?NECR?P&W OCS train.

[@TheTrainHistorian]

Great video!